“Sorry, mother. I understand. I will be good and learn magic, and history like you want me to. I’ll make my future husband proud.”
“Good girl. Now, your father and I will be heading over to Crowning for diplomatic negotiations. We'll be taking your brothers along, so they can learn a valuable lesson. As for you young lady, I want you to behave while we are away.”
“Yes, mother.”
Begrudgingly, Alexandra returned to her desk and heaved out a big book on laws of the land. Opening it up she started reading, hoping to please her mother enough to be left alone again. Rosemary looked on for a few minutes, watching her daughter work. Being satisfied with what she saw, Rosemary left, locking the door behind her.
Alex heaved out a sigh as the welcoming click of the lock set her free from her duties. She seemed to sigh a lot, but the rules of the pure-bloods had been bothering her for some time now. All these rules seemed rather pointless if you took the time to consider how the world was so different just a few centuries ago. What was the reason for the stupid war, anyway? Why couldn’t the pure-bloods leave things the way they were? Surely the world would not fall into chaos if magic ceased to exist, would it?
Staring at the worn, brown pages of her book, Alex envisioned a life without these rules, a life where she would be free to live like an ordinary girl. Pulling a piece of paper out of the drawer she doodled as her thoughts carried her away into another world. When she was finally done, she looked at the finished product, and what she saw amazed even her. Staring back at her from the page were two wolves, a white and a black, leaning their heads together to form a heart.
But what amazed Alex the most was their eyes. The white wolf had emerald green ones, like her. Yet it was the black wolf who intrigued her fancy; its eyes were the color of a brilliant summer sky. Getting lost in its stare, Alexandra dreamed up a story of two lovers reuniting as wolves after fate tore them apart. Consumed by their magical love story, she drifted away with them only to sober up when she heard the lock on her door click open once more.
Frightened that Rosemary came back, Alex tucked the paper in her desk, and returned to her book. From the faded pages, Alexandra watched her grandmother enter the room, and she breathed a sigh of relief as the elderly woman came closer.
“My poor girl, you don't want to be locked up here all day, do you?”
Alex shook her head. “No, not at all.”
“Then, how about you come down to the garden with me and have tea instead?”
“I'd love to granny, but mother said I may not go outside.”
“Oh? But what about you dear, what do you want to do?”
“I—I want to go into the garden and play outside like the gray child planting flowers below my window.”
“In that case, forget what your mother told you and come down with me. I promise I won't tell your parents, it will be our little secret.” Phyllis gave Alex a wink.
Alex shot up from her chair, afraid Phyllis would change her mind if she took too long to reply. To her relief, her grandmother just laughed and took hold of Alexandra’s hand as she led her through the door and down the long hallway.
Walking down the grand staircase, they stopped in front of the intricately cut wood doors with six stained-glass panels. The sun poured in through the glass, casting shapes of color onto the tile floor. Phyllis flung the doors open unceremoniously, and Alex gasped as she had never seen such a beautiful site. The lush landscape was green and warm; far more than it was from her bedroom window. Standing on the threshold, admiring the garden, a cool summer breeze whipped through the doors, filling her lungs with fresh air.
At first, she hesitated to break the rules, but thinking she had nothing to lose, Alex walked out and took in her surroundings. The rays of the sun felt warm as they caressed her skin, making the soft hairs on her arm stand up. Fresh outdoor air filled with scents of different flowers coming from the garden tickled her nose. Birds sang happily above her head, and the ratorks jumped around from tree to tree. The outside world was more colorful, and more beautiful than Alex had envisioned.
Taking her grandmother's hand, Alex walked through the hedge maze and into the center of the garden. Rupert was setting up the tea on a small metal table that stood in the middle of a stone patio. Looking up at them, the tall black haired man smiled and pulled out two chairs, allowing them to sit down. With a bow, he poured two cups of tea before leaving them to enjoy themselves.
Clutching the hot porcelain cup in her hands, Alex admired the surrounding sites. Taking a sip of tea that burned the tip of her tongue, she studied all the different flowers growing in the garden. They seemed to have come in all shapes, sizes, and colors. She especially liked the white ones growing on the thorn bush and the red ones which looked almost like stars blooming up close.
And it was while she was looking at the bright yellow daffodil that something caught her eye. There, on the ground was what appeared to be a black butterfly struggling to fly. Her heart sank to the ground, and Alex ran over to take a closer look. Scoping the insect in her hands, she noticed one of its dark, silky wings was torn.
A warm tear ran down Alexandra’s cheek as she held the butterfly in her hands. The unfortunate creature reminded her so much of herself. Broken wings, unable to fly to escape this wretched world of theirs. Clasping her other hand around the bug, she held it tight to her chest, wishing it could fly once more. Then it dawned on Alex, perhaps her grandmother could help heal it. Without unclasping her hands, she ran over to the table at which Phyllis was still sitting, nearly knocking everything over in her haste.
“Granny... granny. I found a hurt butterfly. Can—can you heal it?”
“Let me see my child, and I’ll let you know if there is anything we can do.”
Alex opened her hands, and to her astonishment, the butterfly fluttered out and flew away. She stood there with a dumbfounded look on her face as the butterfly flew back down and landed on her head, spreading its onyx wings. Looking over at her grandmother, Alex could see a hint of amusement on the old woman's face, and she felt more confused than ever.
“I—I don't understand. It was hurt a minute ago.”
“Tell me, child...” Phyllis took a sip of tea “… how did you feel when you saw it was injured?”
“I felt sad.” Alex stopped to think for a moment “I was sad because it reminded me of myself and I wanted it to be able to fly free again.”
“What you felt is called empathy, a rare trait for our kind these days. And, because you cared, you healed it.”
“But granny, that's impossible, I don't know how to cure yet.”
A concerned Alex studied her grandmother as she continued to sip on her tea unfazed. The old woman eventually put her cup down on the table and straightened out the skirt of her alabaster dress. Looking over at Alex, Phyllis gave her granddaughter an omniscient smile before inviting the child to sit on her lap.
“Tell me, Alexandra, do you know how our magic works?”
“No, not really. I thought us pure-bloods were just born with it.”
“That’s only partially true. Magic lives inside of us all, right there.” Phyllis pointed one of her fingers at Alexandra's heart “We manifest magic by concentrating our emotions into powerful energies. What we will, is what we call spells. Do you understand?”
“So… I accidentally healed the butterfly because I wanted it to live?”
“Exactly dear.” Phyllis put her granddaughter down and studied her closely. “You, my love possess the capacity to care, and that makes you dangerous to our kind.”
“Why is that granny?”
“Because my dear, love, and empathy are the most powerful emotions in the universe. You can cast a powerful spell out of hate or desire for power, but a spell cast out of love and compassion are the most powerful of them all. When the war was fought, we suppressed all emotions, limiting the ability of our magic. And we destroyed the half-bloods, so they would not get i
n our way as they refused to comply with our demands.”
“That’s horrible. Why would we do something so evil?”
“Because, the half-bloods wanted to love without restraint, and they could think for themselves instead of falling prey to the dark force roaming the land. It made the power of the half-bloods unmatched even by the most powerful of pure-bloods. Such power Alex can change the world, and the dark master who orchestrated this wanted none of it.”
“So, they were just afraid the half-bloods would return the world to how it was before the war?”
“Exactly my dear. Our society is broken. For centuries, we have been serving a powerful, dark God out of the fear of losing our powers. Our ignorance allowed the darkness to take over our world and taint our hearts, but everything is bound to end, especially the bonds of tyranny.”
“Will it happen in my lifetime?”
“I know it will. I knew since the day you were conceived that the time for change has approached us.” Phyllis smiled at Alex while recalling the day she found out what her new grandchild was. Knowing the girl could not know her destiny, Phyllis stood up and took Alexandra’s soft, little hand in hers. “Now, what do you say I take you back to your room before your parents return and find out what we’ve been up to?”
Nodding, Alexandra followed her grandmother back to her room, the whole time thinking how nice it would be to live without restrictions and rules of her people. Hoping her grandmother was right, Alex climbed back onto her familiar bench and looked out the window. The full moon was visible in the afternoon sky. Its pale form standing in stark contrast to the blue of the sky. Alexandra thought it must be nice to come out whenever one pleased, and even the moon had that freedom. One day she too would be like the moon, free to roam anywhere she wished, she merely had to wait for it.
Later that night, Alexandra was still sitting on the bench, looking out the window, unable to sleep. Glancing over the darkened lawn illuminated only by the pale glow of the moon, she thought of how wonderful the crisp air must feel now. If only she could sneak outside, then she would be free to explore the castle grounds with no interruptions.
Perhaps, if she was to climb out onto the ledge, she could shimmy her way to the vines and be free. Jiggling the iron latch on the window, Alex tried to open it, but it was locked. If only there were a way for her to pry it open. And like that, a crazy idea crossed her mind. Perhaps she could open it.
Alex walked over to her desk and heaved out an old, heavy book, dragging it to the window, so she could read. Yes, there it was, a spell to open locks hidden in the pages of a long-forgotten tome her granny had gifted her. Now, all Alexandra had to do was concentrate, and the latch should open. While confident she could do it, the task of casting an ancient spell seemed daunting. Figuring she had nothing to lose, she reached out two fingers and touched the rusted latch. Closing her eyes, Alex focused on opening the lock and setting herself free.
Oparatius!
The old latch let out a crack and a groan before swinging open. Alexandra opened her eyes and smiled. She did it, she was a step closer to freedom. Swinging open the window she glanced down on the lawn several stories below her. A sick feeling formed in the pit of her stomach, the way down was a lot further than Alex had expected. Not wanting to give up, she drew in a deep breath to clear the dizzying feeling as she stepped out onto the ledge.
The ledge was just broad enough to accommodate her feet without offsetting her balance, but not enough to walk across confidently. Pressing her back against the wall, Alexandra looked up at the sky and inched her way towards the vines clinging to the stone walls. After a few terrifying seconds, she felt her hand hit the tangled branches closest to her. Grabbing hold, she flung herself around, still looking at the sky and started to climb down.
As Alex was making her way down the vines, her foot slipped, and she dangled from the delicate branch. Mustering all her strength, she tried her best to regain her footing, but it was too late, the vine let go of the building causing Alexandra to fall along with it. Landing on the ground with a thud, she looked at the night sky as her world was spinning from the impact.
In the distance, she could hear muffled footsteps dashing in her direction. Still dazed from the fall, Alexandra rolled over and looked in the runner's direction. Much to her relief, the figure coming into view was one of a small child, not an adult. She was safe, for now.
The young boy whom she saw from her window hours before was standing above her. His dark eyes filled with terror, and his mouth hung open. To Alex’s astonishment, the lad was handing her a shaking hand instead of running to fetch a grown up. Taking hold of his sweaty palm, Alexandra hoisted herself up and looked at the boy’s shocked face as he fiddled around with his hands.
“L-lady Alexandra.” The boy stuttered and stammered like a bumbling idiot. “Are—are you all right?”
“I'm fine,” Alex rubbed her sore behind “And don't call me by that stuffy title. My name is Alex. What's yours?”
The young lad looked at Alexandra bewildered. It’s not like anyone had ever told him what to do when a princess was addressing him. The princess should not even be talking to someone of his low social status, let alone touching his hand. Unsure of how to respond to royalty, the boy was twiddling his thumbs while he attempted to come up with something to say.
“You got a name, don't you?” Frustrated with the lad’s sudden inability to speak, Alex crossed her arms as she tapped her foot on the ground.
“Richard, my lady. Richard Cadwall.”
“Ugh! Stop with the formalities already, will you? I want to be plain old Alex, just once. Is that really too much to ask for?”
“I—I suppose not.” Richard avoided Alexandra’s gaze while he spoke.
“You have no idea what it's like to be of pure-blood, do you?” Alex huffed in frustration. “You must listen to all of their lies about how the world ought to be, even when you know they’re wrong. You’re never free to be who you are, or who you want to be. You're bound by the chains of duty, a prisoner in your own home. So please Richard...” she pleaded with him “... please, can I just be myself around you?”
Richard studied Alex’s face carefully, not sure what to say. He always thought it must be nice to live in a castle, but he never considered the pure-blood life was not all it appeared to be. Quizzically, the lad tilted his head at this new perspective, and suddenly, he felt awful for how it made his princess feel. The way her eyes sparkled under the light of the moon captivated him, and he realized, she was more like him than he first thought.
“All right.” Richard smiles as he went along with it. “If that is what my lady wants.”
Smiling, Alexandra flung her arms around his neck bringing him closer to her. This was the first time she was physically close to anyone, not to mention she’s never been this close to a boy before either. He felt warm, and he smelled of the dirt and flowers from earlier in the day. Those smells of freedom made Alex’s heart feel light and lifted her broken spirits.
“Thank you, Richard. And please, call me Alex.”
Nervously, Richard's arms made their way around Alexandra’s petite waist to return the hug. He knew hugging the princess was a criminal offense, but he liked the way her body felt against his, so he didn’t care if it would cost him his head. No, the only thing the lad cared about at that moment was making her happy, for however long he could.
“Very well Alex. What can I do for you?”
Letting go of Richard, Alex bit down on her bottom lip while trying to decide what to do with her newfound freedom. She had not thought things through all the way before she forced open her window and climbed out. It never occurred to Alex she would run into anyone outside, especially not anyone willing to help her. Lost in the moment, she had an epiphany. Clasping her hands together, Alexandra jumped up and down from pure joy.
“Show me your world. I want to see what it's like being a gray.”
Richard stood th
ere and scratched his head at her unusual request. He never thought of what it was like to be an average child, and he never considered the things Alex could not do. What could he show a princess to ignite her fancy? Finally, he looked up at her, his eyes twinkling in the moonlight as a broad smile formed on his face.
“Would you like me to bring you down to the creek? We could catch firebugs together.”
“Oh...” Alex clapped her hands “... that would be most enjoyable.”
Alexandra had never been down to a creek, let alone seen a firebug up close. She simply knew them as the phantom lights which glowed in the woods outside her window late at night. Eager to see the glowing bugs up close, she took hold of Richard's hand and allowed him to lead her into the woods abutting the courtyard.
The shadows in the woods surrounded the children fast, their invisible fingers wrapping around Alex and Richard as some unknown assailant. The glow of the moon struggled to penetrate the dense foliage, making the path before them barely visible. Alex stumbled over twigs and roots more than a few times, but Richard was beside her to catch her. Surrendering to his expert guidance, she followed along, trying hard to avoid the trees which seemed to be trying to trip her.
In the distance, the trees parted, and a haunting pale light shone through the thick forest, revealing a clearing up ahead. Faintly, the sound of running water could be heard in the distance, churning and bubbling along.
Stepping through the trees, Alex let out a loud gasp. There was a sight to behold. The moon above shone through the trees, its pale rays illuminating the dark running water below. Above the water danced the firebugs, lighting the space like thousands of tiny lanterns. Spinning around in the open field, Alexandra allowed herself to let out a happy giggle at the forbidden world she found herself in.
“So beautiful,” she exclaimed while looking at the glowing insects floating about, “they look like little gas lights up close.”
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